By Lauren J. Mapp
August 14, 2022
When San Diego resident Susan Nelson, 69, went to the geriatric emergency department at UC San Diego Health last year, she noticed some positive new accommodations that she hadn’t experienced during previous hospital visits.
“It’s like night and day between the regular ER and the geriatric,” she said.
As part of a pilot program in 2018, The Gary and Mary West Emergency Department at UC San Diego Health became the first local organization to receive accreditation as a geriatric emergency department, which means it supports seniors by providing a more comfortable setting and additional resources upon release.
Now, even more older adult patients will have access to care catered toward their needs. On Thursday, county officials announced that San Diego County has become the first county in the nation to have all 18 of its eligible hospitals receive the Geriatric Emergency Department (GED) Accreditation.